Tight watch on for smuggled luxury cars in southern ports

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Traffic Management Group 9 (TMG) is tightly watching all ports in the south, which are allegedly being used by smugglers as entry points for imported and stolen luxury cars.

Senior Superintendent Armenio Glodove, TMG 9 director, disclosed that smugglers of imported cars are taking advantage of shipping amenities such as container vans to conceal their illegal trading activities.

"So far we have recovered at least 48 stolen cars. Some of these luxury vehicles are either shipped through the ports concealed in container vans or misdeclared as another item," Glodove said.

However, Glodove said their efforts to thwart this new modus operandi of car theives may be in vain as TMG personnel here are not allowed to operate inside the ports.

He said the only way they can operate is through close coordination with ports officials.

Glodove said they had already coordinated with shipping operators to stop issuing shipment clearances, specially on suspicious consignments.

Glodove also revealed that the syndicates using the nautical highway to ship out all stolen vehicles from Manila to southern Philippines. He said the vehicles are shipped to Matnog, Sorsogon, then off to Liluan in Samar and eventually to the Lipata port in Surigao.